Spring mount for vibratory feeder

ABSTRACT

An improved spring mount for a vibratory feeder wherein the springs supporting the vibrating rail member from the stationary base member are solidly fixed at one end to one of those members and hingedly secured at their other ends to the other of those members so that the flexure of each spring in operation is a simple one about substantially a single transverse axis near its fixed end, rather than a complex one oppositely about at least two longitudinally spaced transverse axes as is the case when each end of each spring is solidly fixed to its associated member. In the optimum form of the invention, the hinged connections are between the rail and the upper ends of the spring and each such connection includes a rubberoid sleeve or bushing which resiliently yieldably resists the hinging action in either direction away from an equilibrium position.

United States Patent 1191 Doty 1 1 SPRING MOUNT FOR VIBRATORY FEEDER [75] Inventor: Myron LE Doty, New Palestine, Ind.

[73] Assignee: Moorfeed Corporation,Indianapolis,

' Ind.

22 Filed: Oct. 19, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 299,005

[52] US. Cl. 198/220 CA, 198/220 DC [51] Int. Cl. B65g 27/00 [58] Field of Search 198/220, 60, 59, 220 BA,

198/220 DC, 220 CA [56] 1 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,325,248 2/1943 Johnstone 198/220 AC 2,332,600 10 1943 Rapp 198/220 BA I 2,342,116 2/1944 Broekhuysen 198/220 DC Smith 198/220 DC 1' Nov. 5, 1974 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Hood & Coffey Primary Examiner-RichardE. Aegerter [57] ABSTRACT An improved spring mount for a vibratory feeder wherein the springs supporting the vibrating rail member from the stationary base member are solidly fixed at one end to one of those members and hingedly secured at their other ends to the other of those members so that the flexure of each spring in operation is a simple one about substantially a single transverse axis near its fixed end, rather than a complex one oppositely about at least two longitudinally spaced transverse axes as is the case when each end of each spring is solidly fixed to its associated member. In the optimum form of the invention, the hinged connections are between the rail and the upper ends of the spring and each such connection includes a rubberoicl sleeve or bushing which resiliently yieldably resists the hinging action in either direction away from an equilib rium position.

8 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures SPRING MOUNT FOR VIBRATORY FEEDER The present invention relates to a vibratory feeder and particularly to an improved spring mounting therefor. While it has been illustrated and will be primarily described in connection with an in-line type of feeder, the invention is equally applicable to bowl type feeders.

, trated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact,-however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that change may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described, so long as the scope of the appended claims is not violated.

IN THE DRAWINGS:-

FIG. 1 is a side elevation ofa fragment of a vibratory feeder embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal section taken substantially on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1; and

PK]. 3 is a transverse section taken substantially on the line 33 of FIG. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it will be seen that l have illustrated a base member and a rail member 11 spring-supported above the base member and carrying a track 12 secured thereto by, for instance, a plurality of cap screws 13. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the base 10 is fixedly secured to a stationary foundation 14 by suitable means such as the cap screws 15.

An upstanding post l6 on the base 10 supports a vibrator coil 17 of conventional construction with which is associated an armature 18 suitably adjustably secured to the rail 11. As is well understood in the art, energization of the coil 17 from' an A.C. source will thus vibratorily drive the rail 11 at a rate dependent upon the frequency of the energizing source and with a power dependent upon the voltage of the energizing source.

Conventionally, the spring means supporting the rail from the base must be meticulously tuned to a resonance frequency compatible with the frequency of the vibrator device comprising the driver 17 and the driven element 18, and it is necessary to hang a counterbalance behind the back of the feeder. The present invention eliminates not only the necessity for such meticulous tuning of the spring means but also the need for use of the conventional counterbalance.

One end of the base 10 is formed with a pair of plane, laterally separated faces l9, 19 disposed in a common plane inclined from the vertical, and the other end of the base is formed with a similar pair of faces 20, 20 disposedin a common plane parallel with the plane of the faces l9, 19. The inclination of these faces is in the line of movement of the rail 11 and is within a range from about 10 to about 20, with optimum performance in most instances being noted at 15.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, substantially identical flat, leaf springs 21 and 22 have,

their lower ends 23and 24 respectively solidly secured to the faces l9, 19 by suitable means such as the cap screws 25, 25. Similarly, similar leaf springs 26 and 27 have their lower ends 28, 28 solidly secured to the faces 20, 20 by means such as the cap screws 29, 29. Thus, the four springs, arranged in two pairs, project upwardly from the base in two parallel planes inclined from the vertical in the line of movement of the rail 11, the springs of each pair being arranged on opposite sides of the rail.

An opening or socket 30 is formed transversely through the rail adjacent one end thereof and a similar opening or socket 31 is disposed similarly adjacent the opposite end of the rail. A rubberoid sleeve or bushing 32 is mounted in the opening 30. The term rubberoid as used herein includes natural rubber, Neoprene and other synthetic rubbers as well as other materials having inherent characteristics of yieldable resiliency or elasticity similar to those of natural rubber.

Preferably, under equilibrium conditions, the outside diameter of the bushing 32 is equal to the inside diameter of the opening or socket 30 so that the bushing has a snug, press fit in the opening. A pin or spindle 33 penetrates and is mounted in the bushing 32, projecting oppositely beyond said bushing at its end regions. The midportion 34 of the pin 33 has an outside diameter somewhat exceeding the equilibrium inside diameter of the bushing 32 so that, when the bushing is mounted in the opening 30 and thepin 33 is'in place in the bushing, the body of the bushing will be resiliently compressed to force its external surface frictionally against the internal surface of the opening 30 and its internal surface frictionally against the external diameter of the pin 33, whereby the bushing is substantially nonrotatably associated with the rail 11 and with the pin 33. However, because of the internal elasticity of the rubberoid bushing, the pin 33 may oscillate about its axis relative to the rail 11, in either direction from its equilibrium position, being resisted by the yieldably resilient characteristics of the rubberoid bushing.

Near its opposite ends, the pin is milled transversely to define seats 35 and 36, lying in a common plane which preferably includes the axis of the pin 33, for the reception respectively of the distal end portions of the springs 21 and 22, being solidly secured to said seats by suitable means such as the cap screws 37, 37.

A similar bushing 38 and a similar pin 39 provide a similar hinged connection between the rail 11 and the springs 26, 27.

Now, it will be seen that when the vibrator 17, 18 is energized, the springs 21, 22, 26, 27 will each be flexed about a simple, substantially single transverse axis near the point of solid connection of that spring to its base face 19 or 20, with the connections between the upper ends of the springs and the rail hinging relative to the rail about the axes of the pins 33 and 39. In the conventional feeders known prior to my invention, wherein the upper ends of the springs are solidly connected to the rail, on the contrary, vibration of the rail has resulted in a complex flexure of each spring in opposite directions about longitudinally-separated transverse axes near the two points of connection of each spring so that each spring has been forced to assume first an S-shape in one direction and then an S-shape in the opposite direction within each cycle of operation of the machine.

Thus, not only does my present invention reduce the rate of fatigue of the springs, but also it reduces the quantum of power required in each cycle of the machine. At the same time, and because of the simplification of the flexure action of the springs, my invention contributes toward more perfect accomplishment of the theoretically-desirable movement of the track 12 through a truly part-circular are which results in optimum accomplishment of movement of the articles 4] along the surface of the track.

Thus, it has been found by careful tests that a given feeder with the upper ends of its springs fixedly attached to the rail which moves articles at a rate of 250 inches per minute will move the same articles approximately 950 inches per minute under the same conditions of power input when the upper ends of the springs are hinged to the rail in accordance with the present disclosure.

In some instances in the past, rubber feet have been interposed between the base of a conventional feeder and the foundation 14 upon which it is mounted. It is found that when my invention is embodied in a feeder, such interposed rubber feet may not be necessary. Even more importantly, it is found that, when my invention is embodied in a feeder, the need for a counterbalance is entirelyeliminated.

l have found that feeders constructed in accordance with the present invention will effectively operate either short track sections or long track sections. Thus, satisfactory results have been obtained using a feeder 6 inches long with track sections from 6 inches to 16 inches long. Two such feeders have been connected in tandem to obtain satisfactory operation with a 32 inch track section.

Some improvement over conventional constructions is obtained even when the hinge connection does not involve resiliently yieldable resistance to the hinging action. Thus, using a nylon bushing in place of the rubberoid bushing, results substantially equivalent to those obtained with the rubberoid bushing were achieved when voltage of approximately 140 was applied to the vibrator; but as voltage was decreased, the feeder equipped with nylon bushings became less effective until, at 40 volts, it became inoperative while the feeder with rubberoid bushings continued to perform.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a vibratory feeder including a stationary base member, a rail member, spring means supporting said rail member from said base member, a track secured to move with said rail member, and power-driven vibrator means comprising an element fixed relative to said base member and an element fixed relative to said rail member, one of said elements being the driver and the other being the driven element of said vibrator means, the in vention in which said spring means comprises at least two bar-type springs spaced longitudinally relative to said members upon axes substantially equally inclined in a common direction from the vertical in the line of movement of said driven element, each of said springs having one end adjacent one of said members and its other end adjacent the other of said members, means for fixedly securing said one end to said one member, means for connecting said other end to said other member for relative resiliently yieldably resisted oscillation about a substantially horizontal axis transverse to the line of movement of said driven element, said other member providing socket means and said connection means between said other end of each spring and said other member comprising rubberoid bushing means substantially nonrotatably received in said socket means, and a spindle penetrating said bushing means, said other end of each spring being fixedly secured to its associated spindle, said spindle including means for preventing rotation and gripping of said bushing means.

2. The invention of claim 1 in which the point of attachment of each spring to its spindle is substantially at the axis of said spindle.

3. The invention of claim 2 in which said one member is said base and said other member is said rail.

4. The invention of claim 1 in which said one member is said base and said other member is said rail.

5. A vibratory feeder comprising a base providing, at each end, a pair of laterally-spaced faces, the faces of each pair lying in a common plane and said planes being parallel and inclined from the vertical, a leaf spring for each such face, each such spring having its lower end solidly secured to its associated face and extending generally upwardly therefrom, a rail having a transverse opening therethrough adjacent each of its ends, a rubberoid bushing substantially nonrotatably received in each of said openings, a spindle substantially nonrotatably gripping and penetrating each bushing and having ends projecting laterally therebeyond, said spindle including means for preventing rotation and gripping of said bushing, the upper end of each such spring being solidly connected to an individual projecting end of one of said spindles whereby said rail is supported by said springs above and in alignment with said base, and means for longitudinally vibrating said rail relative to said base.

6. The vibratory feeder of claim 5 in which each such 8. A vibratory feeder comprising a base, a carrier providing a track on which parts are supported for vibratory movement therealong, a plurality of leaf spring assemblies for supporting said carrier above said base, means for vibrating said carrier relative to said base, said base providing, for each spring assembly, a face inclined from the vertical and extending transversely to the direction of vibratory movement of said carrier, a transversely extending rubberoid bushing attached to said carrier above and in the direction of inclination of each said face, a transversely extending spindle substantially nonrotatably gripping and penetrating each bushing, said spindle including means for preventing rotation of said bushing relative to said carrier and for gripping said bushing, and each spring assembly includ ing at least one leaf spring having its lower end solidly connected to one of said faces and its upper end solidly connected to the spindle disposed thereabove. 

1. In a vibratory feeder including a stationary base member, a rail member, spring means supporting said rail member from said base member, a track secured to move with said rail member, and power-driven vibrator means comprising an element fixed relative to said base member and an element fixed relative to said rail member, one of said elements being the driver and the other being the driven element of said vibrator means, the invention in which said spring means comprises at least two bar-type springs spaced longitudinally relative to said members upon axes substantially equally inclined in a common direction from the vertical in the line of movement of said driven element, each of said springs having one end adjacent one of said members and its other end adjacent the other of said members, means for fixedly securing said one end to said one member, means for connecting said other end to said other member for relative resiliently yieldably resisted oscillation about a substantially horizontal axis transverse to the line of movement of said driven element, said other member providing socket means and said connection means between said other end of each spring and said other member comprising rubberoid bushing means substantially nonrotatably received in said socket means, and a spindle penetrating said bushing means, said other end of each spring being fixedly secured to its associated spindle, said spindle including means for preventing rotation and gripping of said bushing means.
 2. The invention of claim 1 in which the point of attachMent of each spring to its spindle is substantially at the axis of said spindle.
 3. The invention of claim 2 in which said one member is said base and said other member is said rail.
 4. The invention of claim 1 in which said one member is said base and said other member is said rail.
 5. A vibratory feeder comprising a base providing, at each end, a pair of laterally-spaced faces, the faces of each pair lying in a common plane and said planes being parallel and inclined from the vertical, a leaf spring for each such face, each such spring having its lower end solidly secured to its associated face and extending generally upwardly therefrom, a rail having a transverse opening therethrough adjacent each of its ends, a rubberoid bushing substantially nonrotatably received in each of said openings, a spindle substantially nonrotatably gripping and penetrating each bushing and having ends projecting laterally therebeyond, said spindle including means for preventing rotation and gripping of said bushing, the upper end of each such spring being solidly connected to an individual projecting end of one of said spindles whereby said rail is supported by said springs above and in alignment with said base, and means for longitudinally vibrating said rail relative to said base.
 6. The vibratory feeder of claim 5 in which each such spindle is formed adjacent each end with a flat face, said faces of each spindle lying in a common plane parallel with the axis of their spindle and the connected ends of the associated springs bearing solidly on said respective flat faces.
 7. The vibratory feeder of claim 5 in which each such spindle is formed adjacent each end with a flat face, said faces of each spindle lying in a common plane including the axis of their spindle and the connected ends of the associated springs bearing solidly on said respective flat faces.
 8. A vibratory feeder comprising a base, a carrier providing a track on which parts are supported for vibratory movement therealong, a plurality of leaf spring assemblies for supporting said carrier above said base, means for vibrating said carrier relative to said base, said base providing, for each spring assembly, a face inclined from the vertical and extending transversely to the direction of vibratory movement of said carrier, a transversely extending rubberoid bushing attached to said carrier above and in the direction of inclination of each said face, a transversely extending spindle substantially nonrotatably gripping and penetrating each bushing, said spindle including means for preventing rotation of said bushing relative to said carrier and for gripping said bushing, and each spring assembly including at least one leaf spring having its lower end solidly connected to one of said faces and its upper end solidly connected to the spindle disposed thereabove. 